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CNN Sunday Morning

U.S. Gathers Disturbing Information From Afghan Detainees

Aired January 13, 2002 - 10:05   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now to Afghanistan, hundreds of detainees are being held in separate camps in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. We're told that some valuable information is coming out of some of the interrogations.

CNN's Bill Hemmer has more from Kandahar.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Military sources in Kandahar say that some detainees, suspected al Qaeda terrorists, had, quote, "plans to travel to the U.S. sometime soon and kill Americans". They also indicate, and quoting now, "the planned events did not come off for whatever reason possibly because of what happened on September 11."

Also it continues to look like Bagram, north of Kabul, is a centerpiece for interrogation. We now know that Ibn Al-Shaykh al-Libi -- he's the man the U.S. accused of running terrorist camps here in Afghanistan -- was recently transported from the USS Bataan in the Arabian Sea to Bagram.

Also a week ago we know that Abdul Salam Zaeef, the former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, was also taken there. One source here says, quote, "there are a lot of bad boys in Bagram". Also investigators continue to sift through evidence that show suspected al Qaeda terrorists, possibly four miles from this location right here, tried to develop chemical or biological weapons.

However, they also say there's no evidence to date that shows that they were successful on that venture. Also one source indicating on an investigation, he notes that at this point this will take a long time to complete the puzzle, but we're making progress every day.

As for the detainees, we're also told that some of them are simply breaking down over time, given the apprehension and detention, and some, we are told, simply do not know where they are, if they do not have contact with other detainees. Here in Kandahar 391 still being held in southern Afghanistan.

Bill Hemmer, CNN, Kandahar, Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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